Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/408565
UNDER THE DOME four games versus the ACC this season (Syracuse, North Carolina, Florida State and Louisville), six next season and five in 2016. Other notable items include: • Notre Dame has a four-game ACC schedule in 2014, 2022 and 2024, six in 2015, 2019 and 2023, and five in 2016-18, 2020, 2021 and 2025. • Notre Dame will twice have Labor Day Monday games — at Louisville in 2019 and at Florida State in 2021. • Beginning with this season, the Irish will play at least four games against each of the ACC's other 14 foot- ball member schools (60 games overall). All will come to Notre Dame Stadium at least twice and each will host the Irish at least twice. • Four ACC program that have never played in Notre Dame Stadium will do so: Louisville (2014), North Carolina State (2017), Virginia (2019) and Virginia Tech (2016). KEIVARAE RUSSELL EXPECTS DAVARIS DANIELS BACK IN 2015 Notre Dame junior cornerback KeiVarae Russell has never been shy about speaking his mind, and he is still doing so despite not being part of the 2014 Irish team. Russell was one of five Notre Dame players withheld or suspended from action this year because of an academic fraud investigation that ended in mid-October. Russell said, via social media, he is out in 2014 and spring 2015, but plans to return next summer. Head coach Brian Kelly said senior defensive end Ishaq Williams also hopes to return in 2015 after his ban. Senior safety Eilar Hardy has been cleared to at least practice this season, though Kelly said he has not yet been given the okay to play, while fifth-year senior linebacker Kendall Moore announced his college career is finished. Moore received his degree in May. About a week after the investigation's conclusion, Russell posted on Instagram his belief that Daniels will "likely" return in 2015. Wrote Russell: "I'm sure my followers and the country will be pleased to hear that he is now likely to return to Notre Dame with me next year despite what media says!! Watch how we take this negative and turn it into somethin [sic] special and memorable! Both gonna make people wish we didn't have this much time to work!" Actually, media had not said much about Daniels. It was his father, former NFL star Phillip, who tweeted after the ruling: "He is done at Notre Dame and will weigh his options for the future! #HeIsNDNo- More" (sic) his tweet read. The elder Daniels backed off those comments a few hours later when he wrote: "#Irish fans. There is an option for DaVaris to return in 2015 and that is being considered as well. Sometimes you gotta see through the fog!" On Oct. 28, Kelly said he has not discussed that possibility with Daniels. "I have talked to him, but we did not discuss next year," Kelly said. "Our conversations were strictly about the immediate — what he needs to do because there are implications relating to eligibility right now." Daniels was Notre Dame's second- leading pass catcher in 2013, haul- ing in 49 receptions for 745 yards and seven touchdowns. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA